Relationship to Other Sites

In this section, we will discuss the relevance of this site to the overall Welina Mānoa project. We will briefly point out various themes, including ʻōlelo noʻeau, ʻōpelu, and wai, that correlate across all four Welina Mānoa sites.

ʻŌlelo Noʻeau:

In order to offer another Hawaiian perspective on Mānoa Heritage Center, we have provided and explained a few ʻōlelo noʻeau (proverbs) that are relevant to this site. A brief explanation of the ʻōlelo noʻeau will also be provided. The ʻŌlelo Noʻeau have been an invaluable resource for Hawaiian language learners today because they offer insight into the language and worldview of the old Hawaiian people.

“Nu‘uanu i ka hālau loa a ka makani; ‘āko Mānoa i ka hale a ke ehu” this ʻōlelo noʻeau means, “Gathered in Nu‘uanu is the longhouse of the wind; gathered in Mānoa is the house of rainy sprays” (ʻŌlelo Noʻeau).

“Mānoa aliʻi; Mānoa kānaka” this ʻōlelo noʻeau means, “Mānoa of the chiefs, Mānoa of the commoners”. Pukuʻi further describes this ʻōlelo noʻeau: “In the ancient days an invisible line was drawn from the center of the low, green hill, Pu‘u Luahine, at the head of Mānoa Valley, to the center of Rocky Hill back of Punahou School. Looking up into the valley, Mānoa of the commoners was on the right side. Here lived the commoners and here too, the excreta of the chiefs was secretly buried by the kahu moka (protector and keeper of the excreta). This was an important position, for if any of the excreta fell into the hands of an enemy, the chief might die through sorcery. On the left side of the valley lived the chiefs and their retainers” (ʻŌlelo Noʻeau).